The Study on Integrated Water Management Final Report - Main Report in the Republic of Bulgaria Chapter 7 CHAPTER 7 PUBIC CONSULTATIONS 7.1 Introduction Many public consultations were held by the EABD and WABD based on the requirements of EU-WFD under supporting by JICA Study Team members. These public consultations were also held as Stakeholder Meetings for Environmental and Social Considerations for the draft RBMPs in the EABD and in the WABD of this JICA Master Plan Study. 7.2 Summary of Each Public Consultation Summary of each Public Consultation, which was conducted during this Study is shown in Table 7.2.1 by chronological order. 7.3 Comments of the Public Consultations and the Recommendations 7.3.1 Comments of the Public Consultations (1) Reflections for the Draft RBMPs According to the Article 14 of the EU-WFD, EU member states shall allow at least six months to comment in writing on the RBMP in order to allow active involvement and consultation. This means responsible authorities of Bulgaria for water management shall allow to comment in writing on the RBMP. Also, the public is allowed to have access to the documents and information used in the process of the development of the RBMP. Based on the above understandings, EABD and WABD has been received the comments from the participants of the public consultations and any persons, who send the comments through web site of MoEW. Also, EABD and WABD have reflecting the some comments to the draft RBMPs. For example, the following water management issues and the ideas for the programs of measures, which were discussed at the public consultations, are reflecting to the draft RBMP. • Water supply and sewer network issues at small scale settlement areas; • Sand/gravel extractions from the river beds may cause excessive river morphological chances; • Groundwater pollution risk issues by the agriculture activities; • Prioritized rehabilitations of the water supply and sewer networks • Appropriate design (stage-wise planning) of the WWTPs • Educations for farmers (pesticide use, etc.), and • Other local management issues and their ideas for the measures. JICA CTI Engineering International Co., Ltd. 7-1 Final Report - Main Report The Study on Integrated Water Management Chapter 7 in the Republic of Bulgaria (2) EABD and WABD Performances for the Public Consultations Both EABD and WABD had conducted each 3 times Public Consultations, except for the 3rd Public Consultation for Maritsa River Basin, as one of the requirements of the EU-WFD and of the public participation process for the environmental and social considerations for the draft RBMPs. Concerning the 3rd Public Consultation for Maritsa River Basin will be held by EABD on year 2008. Each Public Consultation includes the following items: • Opening Speech by Basin Directorate • Objectives of each Public Consultation by JICA Study Team Member • Presentation (e.g. water quality issues and their impacts in the river basin, etc.) by technical staff of Basin Directorate, other organizations • Presentation (e.g. draft proposals of programs of measures for the issues and the impacts, etc.) by JICA Study Team Member • Questions and answers related to the presentation topics; • Group discussion (divided into 2 or 3 or 4 groups at each public consultation depended on the participants and based on the location or interests group) • Short presentations by each group facilitator for the discussion results • Closing and explanation of the next steps of the RBMP, etc. Through the series of this implementation of the Public Consultations, the coordination capacities such as progress management of each consultation, facilitator’s skill for the group discussion, etc., of both EABD and WABD were improved. These coordination capacities are also important not only to develop RBMP, but also to disseminate the importance of the appropriate water management as well as the roles of Basin Directorate to the stakeholders and the public in Bulgaria. 7.3.2 Recommendations for the Public Consultation and Involvement It is recommended that the followings could be considered for future public consultations and involvements for the finalizing RBMPs in Bulgaria: • More staff from the Water Directive of MoEW shall participate in the Public Consultations. Because there would be very important chances that the responsible central authorities for water management are able to understand the real water management issues and their local needs, as well as to consider the countermeasures based on the realities, which are discussed at each group discussion sessions of Public Consultations. • It is very important that continuous implementations of public consultations by the River Basin Directorate with involving more stakeholders and local residents shall be done to formulate appropriate RBMPs and to actualize RBMPs, as well as to improve the river basin management more in Bulgaria. 7-2 JICA CTI Engineering International Co., Ltd. The Study on Integrated Water Management Final Report - Main Report in the Republic of Bulgaria Chapter 7 CHAPTER 7 7.1 Main Report Chapter 7 Tables 7.2 JICA CTI Engineering International Co., Ltd. 7-3 Final Report - Main Report The Study on Integrated Water Management Chapter 7 in the Republic of Bulgaria Table 7.2.1 Summary of Each Public Consultations (1/4) Items EABD WABD 1st Public Consultation Date November 6, 2006 November 2, 2006 Targeted River Tundzha River Basin Whole River Basin within the WABD Basin area Place City hall of Sliven A private college in Blagoevgrad Objectives Understand the real situations in terms Understand the real situations in terms of water related issues and to share the of water related issues and to share the information among the stakeholders information among the stakeholders especially for Tundzha River Basin for whole WABD area Participants Technical/administration staff Technical/administration staff from the including mayor from the organizations such as most of the organizations such as Sliven related municipalities, Regional Municipality, Yambol Municipality, Inspectorate of Environmental and the MoEW, and Sewerage Company Water, the MoEW, Basin Council, and the other private sector, the other energy company, university, local Basin districts, local NGOs, as well as NGOs, as well as the WABD staff and the EABD staff, and others – Total 96 others – Total 43 persons persons Main discussed Main discussed items: water supply Main discussion items: Drinking water items/participant’s issues, riverbed contamination, illegal quantity/quality issues, lack of needs (priority waste dumping, wastewater pollution, wastewater treatment plant, protected problems) riverbed ecosystem disturbance, areas issues, irrigation water issues, extraction of sand/gravel, lack of waste issues, mining issues, WWTPs, pesticide issues, insufficient institutional issues, water pollution in water monitoring points, hydropower household, and sewerage network related issues, forest ecosystem issues. disturbance, drinking water issues, Participant’s needs: Further transferable water issues, and considerations of the sewerages, and reduction method of pollution source. the WWTP. Participant’s needs (Priority problems): Ground water pollution by agricultures, sand/gravel extraction from river beds. Items EABD Targeted River Arda River Basin (1st Public Consultation) Basin Date November 28, 2006 Place Varna University of Smolyan Town Objectives Understand the present water issues concerning the Arda River Basin and the schedule for formulation of the RBMP among the stakeholders Participants Technical staff from the EABD, the WABD, the DRBD, and the BSRBD, as well as a Euro Consultant (ARCADIS), and others – Total 48 persons (for group discussion: Total 31 persons) Main discussed Main discussed items: Surface/ground water quality problems, ecosystem items/participant’s problems, drinking water quality deterioration, erosion due to deforestation, needs hydro morphological change, lack of sewerages in the populated areas, wastes problems in the dam (e.g. Kardzhali dam). Participant’s needs: Further construction of the sewerages, and the WWTP 7-4 JICA CTI Engineering International Co., Ltd. The Study on Integrated Water Management Final Report - Main Report in the Republic of Bulgaria Chapter 7 Table 7.2.1 Summary of Each Public Consultations (2/4) Items EABD Targeted River Upstream (from the water source to Parvomay town) of Maritsa River Basin Basin Date February 22, 2007 Place Parvomay Municipality Hall Objectives Understand the present water issues concerning the upstream of Maritsa River Basin as well as the schedule for formulation of the RBMP among the stakeholders. Participants Technical staff from the EABD, RIEW-WoEW in Pazardzhik, Municipalities (Parvomy, Kostenets, and others), an NGO, and others – Total 87 persons were invited, but actually EABD staff plus approximately 30 persons. Main discussed Main discussed items: Discussed issues are very diverse, but mains are items/participant’s Topolnitsa River quality due to wastewater by mineral mining, Insufficient needs control of sand and gravel mining from the river beds, Lack of WWTP, institutional management issues related to forestry management, insufficient management for Sanitary Protected Area, etc. Targeted River Downstream (from Parvomay town) of Maritsa River Basin Basin Date April 12, 2007 Place A Private Hotel of Haskovo Town Objectives Understand the present water issues concerning the down stream of Maritsa River Basin as well as the schedule and working program of